Education stakeholders in the Arid and Semi-Arid regions (ASAL) have expressed fears over candidates failing to sit the national exams scheduled for November and December 2022.
The stakeholders stated that the prolonged drought in the affected counties necessitated students to drop out of school.
Some students were forced to join their parents in search of food and water.
The drought also exposed children of all ages to the risk of diseases and other permanent effects.
The worried stakeholders urged the government to prioritise such areas while implementing school feeding programmes.
Older pupils and students, they argued, would stay in school if offered the same incentive given to pupils in Early Childhood Development Education (ECDE).
However, they pointed out that students from drought-stricken regions should not be expected to register the same results as their counterparts across the country.
Education Cabinet Secretary (CS) Ezekiel Machogu had earlier committed to working with other leaders in dealing with the ravaging effects of drought in schools.
He assured parents and stakeholders that the government would ensure all learners report to schools, despite the ravaging drought.
"Currently, the Education Ministry is feeding learners in 10 arid counties, 16 semi-arid counties and informal urban settlements in 10 counties,” Machogu stated.
Speaking at the Wednesday, November 2, event at the Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development (KICD), Machogu pledged to launch a handbook dubbed History of Kenya's School Meal.
Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) exams are scheduled to begin on November 28 and end on November 30. The Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) will commence earlier, from November 21 to December 23.
Grade Six pupils are also set to sit for their national examinations later in November under the Competent Based Curriculum (CBC) system.
